@MAWriterGirl :
If you're seeing fog, chances are that has to do with the graphics settings in-game. When you lower the draw distance to the lowest level, you'll have this issue. If you have other issues with the game graphically, it could be a case of needing to update your graphics drivers or even, in some odd cases, rolling them back, which is what I had to do with my graphics card. I had to roll the driver back, because there was an issue with a recent update that caused rain to clip.
In terms of recommending a computer, I would pick a build similar to the Dell you found on Amazon, but with better reviews. Another site I would recommend, in case you decide against Amazon or run out of time at Tiger Direct (can't believe it's closing; bought my first electronics components there, like 20 years ago!), is Newegg: http://www.newegg.com. You can also try Best Buy and B & H Photo.
Go to "Desktops" sections on any of these sites, filter results by "low to high-price" to find budget builds. To help drill things down, read reviews because some of buyers will actually be specific as in, "It runs older games like GTA V great or Assassin's Creed fine." If a desktop can run an older triple A title like GTA V or any other released around the time TS3 wound down (GTA V was released in 2013), it can run TS3.
BTW, I'm just going to reiterate what I said earlier, and explain my remarks:
- There aren't desktops with a quadcore in consumer builds (aka store-bought) that cannot run older titles like The Sims. Desktops like that have always been aimed at casual users/casual gamers who want budget builds that can play older titles like GTA V, Assassin's Creed, etc. That's why I said that an AMD quadcore is fine without getting into specifics about it.
- The Sims 3 is not a triple A title, so it doesn't make sense to say that a casual user would need at least 8GB, or even invoke SSDs or anything of the sort. A person can certainly start with 4GB and then upgrade if they want, but not need it for The Sims 3 if all they want to do is play the game.
- Speaking of which, the conventional wisdom of needing a monster rig started when it turned out that TS3 was poorly optimized. So, people assumed that when their computers started sputtering, they needed to drop gobs of money on souped up components. But then, as it turned out, some of them wound up needing mods and hacks anyway to get the game running smoothly in spite of all the money they had spent: Help With Setting Up/optimizing The Sims 3 On New/high end systems. — The Sims Forums
So, I guess that's why everyone wants to recommend SSDs, expensive cards, etc.. I suppose dropping $700-$1000 on a rig to play TS3 will cancel out some of the lag that comes with the game because of poor optimization, but I think it would be much cheaper to get a midrange computer and just use NRAAS and other mods like everyone winds up doing anyway, no matter how budget or high end the system. 🤣
Good luck on your search, and Happy Simming!
